BDP co-Chair Gültan Kışanak on Tuesday participated to the program Tarafsız Bölge at CNN Türk to evaluate the Democracy Package.

Here are some of her remarks:

"The society was ready for more comprehensive reforms, and what is released doesn't fulfill the expectations." - she said adding that "The government prepared the package on it's own. We were not part of it in any phase in this process. Nobody can object any one of the proposed reforms in the package. But they are nevertheless far from being the remedy for the stagnation in the Peace Process."

The BDP co-chair also remarked that "A new phase began with Mr. Öcalan's Newroz declaration. Now, we cannot say that a similar atmosphere follows this package. The society would see who did what for peace, once they would share the content of Mr. Öcalan's twenty page letter."

She said: "They show the legalization of Kurdish education in private institutions as a reform which was but legalized more than a decade ago. Education in mother language should be a public service. The language is an inseparable part of one's identity. Moreover, it is an insult that the Kurdish language is categorized as a foreign language in Turkey. There is no point behind this reluctance. I'll give up this demand if my education in Kurdish overrides one's rights in the country. Citizens, including Kurds, pay their taxes without exception. So, everybody has the right to benefit from the public services."

Kışanak pointed out that "The streets are ready for the solution, but the government lacks the will. Nowhere in the world, recognition of rights and liberties brought separation. It’s approach to the election threshold - she argued - is a good indicator of what the government understands of democracy. ‘Keep watching us, keep voting for us!’ This is what the package happened to be. In its current form, it is an Election Package rather than one for the democratization."

Finally Kışanak said that "What is called the freedom to the letters is only the legalization of a common practice by annulling an already obsolete law. The national oath was an example of racism and discrimination. But this also was a late step, it was no more practiced in the Kurdish regions anyway.” And added: "There are cemevis all over the country. They only need to be recognized. This cannot be postponed anymore. AKP government should give up sectarianism and discrimination against the Alevites."
Kışanak concluded by saying that "One of the biggest deficiencies in this package is the lack of any reforms in the Penal Code and the anti-Terror Law.”